This invention refers to an apparatus for cutting a moving material web of paper, cardboard or the like to shape by burning with a deflectable laser beam focussed on the material web.
An apparatus of the above-given type was published in the German Letters Patent No. 23 50 933. In the subject matter of the German Pat. No. 23 50 933 the laser beam is deflected by a movable mirror arrangement disposed in the beam path between the laser beam source and the material web, wherein the mirrors are moved by electronically controlled, mechanical drive means. The possibilities for use of such an apparatus are limited due to the inertia of the system, especially in the mechanical sphere. This means that the desired high speeds of the material web can not be reached. The result is that the capacity of high-performance machines, for instance for the manufacture of envelope blanks, can not be fully exploited.